Car-brake



NITE STATES PATEN- HERBERT E. OOLLETT, OF CHELSEA, MASSACHUSETTS,ASSIGNOR OF THREE- FOURTHS TO HERBERT E. COLLETT, J R, OF LYNN,MASSACHUSETTS, AND CHARLES W. ARMSTRONG AND JAMES HOlVARD BING, OFPHILADEL- PHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 513,670, dated January30, 1894.

Application filed July 24, 1893. Serial No. 481,26 2- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HERBERT E. OoLLE'rT, of Chelsea, in the county ofSuffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Car-Brakes, of which the following is a descriptionsufficiently full, clear, and exact to enable any person skilled in theart or science to which said invention appertains to make and use thesame, refer- IO ence being had to the accompanying drawings,

forming part of this specification, in which-- Figure 1 is a sectionalview of a portion of a street-car platform showing my improvedmechanism, the dasher and brake-rod being I 5 represented as brokenaway; and Fig. 2 a Vertical transverse section enlarged taken throughthe clutch mechanism.

Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both figuresof the drawings. My invention relates to street-car brakes, it beingdesigned especially to overcome the necessity of employing thechangeable brakehandles ordinarily used. Such handles are designed tofacilitate adjusting the relative 2 5 position of the handle on thebrake-rod or staff as the load on the car varies. A clutch orratchetmechanism connects the handle and stafi and is concealed in the handle,socketed to receive it. This construction is expensive, the handles arenot interchangeable and the staifs have to be fitted to mount theclutch.

My invention enables the common interchangeable handle now in use to beemployed and does not require any special fitting of the 3 5 staff toreceive the clutch while effecting the results desired.

In the drawings, A represents the carplatform and B the dasher providedat its top with the rail, 6. The brake rod or staff, 0, isjour- 4o naledin brackets, d, f, on this rail and the platform in the usual manner. Inmy improvement the staff is divided into two sections or members, m2, mThe ordinary ratchet, D, is secured by a pin, g, passing through its hubto the upper end of the staff-section, m, in which position it overlapsthe platform, A, and is engaged by the foot-dog, h, pivoted on saidplatform. The companion stafi-section, m steps on the section, m, and isfitted to rotate and slide vertically in the ratchethub and the bracket,d. The upper end of the ratchet hub is exteriorly screw-threaded 'at,'t', to receive an interiorly threaded cap, H,

through the apex of which the staif-section, m passes. The end of thehub within the cap is toothed at, in, forming one member of the clutchmechanism. The companion member consists of a sleeve, 15, toothed toengage the member, k, and secured to the staif-section, m by a pin, 7'.A coiled spring, 12, 1s interposed around the staff-section, m, betweenthe top of the cap chamber and the clutch-member, t. Said spring actsexpansively to hold the clutch-members in en gagement. the squared endof the staff in the usual mannor. The chain, as, winds on the lower endof the stafi-member, m.

In use the handle is manipulated in the ordinary way in setting thebrake, the spring clutch-mechanism locking the stafi-sections whenrotated in one direction. The brake being set the staff is held by thedog, It, and ratchet, d. The handle can be reciprocated, theclutch-member, t, riding the teeth of its companion member and thestaff-section, m being carried vertically therewith against the Thecrank-handle, w, is mounted on force of the spring, 1*. This enables therelative position of the handle to be changed as the load varies. Byinclosing the clutchmechanism in the cap, H, it is protected from dirtorgrit. When the ratchet is released from the dog the staff Will rotatereturning to its normal position in the manner of the stafis in ordinaryuse.

By employing my improved devicel am enabled to utilize the commonhandle, it being necessary only to divide the staff into the sectionsdescribed and prepare the ratchet to form a member of the clutch.

It will be understood that a hand-wheel or other means may besubstituted for the handle, w, to rotate the stafi.

Having thus explained my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a car-brake,the combination of a sectional brake staff, a clutch-member fast to thelower section thereof, and a spring-pushed companion-member fast to theupper section of said stafi, substantially as described.

2. In acar-brake the combination of a brakestaif formed of twoindependent sections in alignment; a clutch-member fast to the lowerstafi section; a companion clutch member fast to the upper section and apush-spring interposed between said upper clutch-member and a connectionwith said lower member.

3. In a car-brake the sectional rotary brakestan in combination with theratchet fast to the lower section thereof and toothed to form aclutch-member; a companion clutch-member fast to the upper section ofsaid staff, a cap inclosing said clutch-mechanism and attached to saidratchet and a push-spring interposed getween said cap and theupper-clutch mem- 4. In a car-brake a rotary-staff divided into twoindependent sections; a clutch fast to the lower section and inclosingthe joint of said staff and a spring-pushed clutch-member fast to theupper staff-section, substantially as described.

5. In a car-brake the combination of the sectional staff with theratchet and dog, said ratchet being fast to the lower staff-section andhaving its hub toothed to form a clutchmember; a companion clutch-memberfast to the upper staif section and a push-spring interposed betweensaid upper clutch-member and a projection held by said ratchet.

6. In a car-brake mechanism, the combination with the rotary staffjournaled on the car-platform and provided with a ratchet, of a dog onthe platform forengaging said ratchet; clutch teeth on the hub of saidratchet, a staif-section fitted to rotate and slide in said hub; ahandle on said section; aclutch-memher on said section engaging theratchetclutch; a cap, turned onto said hub and inclosing saidclutch-mechanism and a pushspring interposed between the clutch-memberon said staff-section and said cap.

7. In a car-brake mechanism the combination of the sectionalstaif,(3,with the ratchet, d, fast to one member thereof and having thethreaded hub, 2', provided with clutch-teeth, 70; a dog on the car forengaging said ratchet; the clutch-member, 25, fast to the oppositestaff-section; the cap, H, turned onto said threaded hub and inclosingsaid clutch-mechanism and the push-spring, 'u, interposed between theclutch-member, t, and said cap.

8. In a brake mechanism of the class described a rotary staff formed intwo sections and a clutch-mechanism connecting said sections whereby onesection may be reciprocated independent of its companion.

HERBERT E. COLLETI.

Witnesses:

M. J. KEATING, MORRIS MANSUR.

